Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-19
SCHOOL TEXT BOOK NATTER.

REPRESENTATIVE Blake has introduced
bill for an act to establish q Board OF Edit
cation, to consist Of the Governor, Secrt
tary of the Territory, Territorial Auditor
Territorial Treasurer and Superintendent
oil Public Instruction. The board sha
examine and adopt text books upon a.
studies required by law to be taught in til
common schools of the Territory. Tn
bill provides hat the board shall cause al
advertisement to be inserted in some dali,
newspaper published at the capital OF tn
Territory, stating the subjects on which i
is proposed to adopt text books, and in
vite publishers to submit samples OF books
and proposals for their introduction anc
sale at a specified meeting OF the board
At the designated time and place, thu
board, in open session, shall zeal all par
ties interested, and any x tbooks adopted
at it's meetings, shall be the legal text
books for use in the public schools oil the
Territory for such time as the board may
determine by it's vote, and upon such
terms as may be fixed by the written
agreement OF the board OF such pub
fishers.
The object OF the bill appears to be to
the hands of the Legislative Assembly and
put it into those of a Board OF Education,
composed OF the officers above named.
This is all there is in it, for it cannot be
claimed the public schools would be pro-
vided with q better series of text books
under the bill than they have under the
present system.
A similar provision was incorporated in
the present school law when it was first
introduced in the Legislative session Of
1S71.'72, but that body eliminated it,
thinking it too cumbersome to promise
satisfactory results.
This question OF school text books is
Legislative Assemblies. At every session
the agents OF rival book publishing houses
swarm at the capital and bore members
with descriptions of their respective school
books and with arguments to prove their
superiority over all others. And az the
average legislator knows as little about
the merits OF school text books as he does
OF other matters OF which he is unac-
q~uainted, he is ut a loss as how to act in
the premises. In the end he seeks
tho advice OF practical educators
and votes accordingly. With the
exception Of the Superintendent
OF Public Instruction the sam may
be truthfully said of the gentlemen who
would compose the Board OF Education
under Mr.. Blake's bill. Governor Leslie, /
Secretary Webb. Auditor Sullivan and
Preuitt are probably better acquainted /
with the old English reader, Murray or
Kirxham's Grammar and Daboll's or Da-
vies' Arithmetic than they are with the
present advanced series OF school books, l
and would doubtless refer the whole matter
to Prof. Logan and other present day edu-
Thus, in the end the selection oil school
text books would fall where it properly be-
Iongs-to practical educators. There
lore, should any change be made in the law
governing the matter We would respectfully
suggest that the Board OF Education be
composed Of the Superintendent OF Public
and the principals of the pub
lie schools OF four or five of the most pop
districts in the Territory. These
gentlemen would know what they were
sbout. Their duties make them familiar :
With school books, and the merits or de-
Gets OF any given series are apparent to
;hem.
A uniform series Of school text be oks is
Indispensable to success in teaching. No
me WHIT is acquainted with the duties Of
will deny the proposition. The
is, who shall select them? In
very other matter in which the interest OF ]
no public is involved the principle of the |
Itness OF things is considered. Men are /
to perform given duties for their
'bility to discharge them successfully. The g
Council would have rejected the most re
able statistician in the country for Terri
orial veterinary if his recommendation for
ne position consisted simply of his accur- r
cy in collecting certain data. A mans !
tness for the duties which he may be :
allied upon to discharge is always con- c
dsred in other matters and we hold the il
rule should obtain in school matters. t
Every one to his trade is an old saw full c
good sense and applies with force in this r
Az the youths OF tho country i.
70 given over to the schoolnasters to g
ach, let the educators determine the q
cans by which they shall impart knowl. u